Israel accused of starting Lebanon wildfires

Since the 17 June ceasefire that largely ended fighting between Hezbollah and Israel, the Israeli military has been accused of deliberately starting wildfires across southern Lebanon. Firefighters and residents report that Israeli drones drop incendiary materials, white phosphorus shells are fired at woodlands, and illumination flares are dropped during the day to ignite vegetation. According to Hussein Fatiil, head of civil defence in the Nabatieh region, around 30-40% of land near the frontline has been affected by fires. Firefighting efforts have been hampered by drone strikes and restrictions on where crews are permitted to operate. Environmental groups, including Green Southerners, describe the fires as part of a pattern of 'ecocide' aimed at degrading Lebanon's ecosystem and making the land uninhabitable. Displaced residents of villages like Yaroun have lost centuries-old olive groves and homes, with the mayor Hafez Ghasham stating that the destruction is erasing their history and culture. The Israeli military has not commented on the incidents.